Missed Connections
by GlowingMechanicalHeart
Summary: The five times Sansa and Sandor missed each other. And the one time they got it right.


**Disclaimer:** All ASoIaF belongs to GRRM. No profit made.

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Sandor is six years old when he discovers his father's favorite movies. He is still seven when he meets and falls in love with Sansa Stark. Sansa Stark is the most beautiful lady he's ever seen.

So he falls in love the only way a child can. Full of innocent dreams and hopes, he spends hours looking at her. She is a beautiful lady, tall and lean and her face is soft and gentle with a radiant smile.

He is seven years old when he declares that he will marry her. His father simply smiles sadly and breaks the bad news, Sansa Stark is no longer alive today. She was a star long before he was a man, a woman from his father's time.

Sandor's heart breaks.

The celebrations are in full swing. It was after all, the wedding of the Crown Prince and all the nobles where gathered today to join in the celebration.

Sandor hates this kind of events, he is just a guard to a noble house. A nobody. But his lord has commanded he accompany him. So he went, even if he hates these events, for he is expected to behave and thread with caution during the celebration.

He is about to drink some wine when he sees her. She is a vision of red hair, bright eyes and pale skin and radiant smile. He feels his breath being stolen away. His heart in his throat pounds and he can hear it clearly.

Whatever hopes he might have had, they die the moment the Prince takes her hand and leads her to the high table.

Sansa survives, with scars on her back, with pain in her heart, but she lives.

She fights the only way she knows how, with words. She negotiates deals for her people, she cares for her brothers and sister. Mourns those who died on the battlefield, mourns those who died long before that.

But with gentle care, with strong guidance and with faith, her people thrive. The North survives the winter, Westeros begins the long process of healing.

She sometimes looks back and wonders what happened to some, but she can't afford to dwell on it too much. She looks back to see her mistakes and learn from them, to try and do better this time.

Little by little, the North begins to flourish again, her family feels a little less broken. Her smiles come easier.

With time, Sansa falls in love and weds.

Sansa enjoys volunteering, she does. It is her want to do something good that makes her go and play music in the retirement home. She feels for the retiees, who are mostly alone.

She finds that she loves it. It brings her so much joy when the retirees are listening to her, occasionally asking a specific song. And she loves that she can bring them a measure of happiness.

It is there where she meets Sandor, he was a full on grouch at the beginning, always complaining about something. But she won him over by her Sinatra and Beatles covers.

And they form an unlikely friendship, the ever cranky old man and the high spirited, good girl.

She is devastated when he suffers a heart attack and passes on.

It is during his usual walk when he sees a girl staring at the tree. He stops and looks at the girl.

She is a pretty thing, red hair and blue eyes. She hasn't taken her eyes of the tree and has seemingly not noticed him. He looks up and sees a cat in the branches and mentally groans.

"Is it yours girl?" he asks as gently as he can. He knows he can be an intimidating man.

"Yes sir, she's my cat, Lady, she won't come down!" She looks at him, eyes wide and with no fear.

So he does what he hasn't done in years. He climbs the tree and gets the cat and handles him over to a pretty overjoyed girl.

"Thank you sir!"

"Look after her, ok?" he says.

"I will!" She waves and runs towards her house.

He walks on.

The coffee shop is full to the brim. It's about the time when both college students and working people descent on it. And it's a popular coffee shop, after all.

He scowls, he knows full well that the only reason he's so much as considering going in is because he needs caffeine. And he has an exam to study for and he needs the boost.

So in he goes.

And the first thing that happens is that someone collides with him. He is about to snarl when the person looks up. He looks down, an issue with him being taller than most people. Bright blue eyes stare at him and he feels breathless.

She's very pretty. And she's smiling at him.

"I am sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going. Forgive me?"

He gathers his wits long enough to reply, "That's ok."

She beams and extends her hand, "Sansa Stark. Let me buy you coffee as an apology."

He wants to say that she shouldn't bother, but he just nods and says, "Sandor Clegane"

Her smile widens and she takes his hand in hers, "Nice to meet you Sandor."

"Nice to meet you too, Sansa"

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**A/N:** Thank you for reading, comments are very welcome!


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